4. Social Security Statement (Earnings History Record)

Your Social Security Statement contains a line-by-line historical record of every dollar of taxed earnings reported by your employers throughout your working career. The SSA uses this lifetime record to calculate your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME) and determine your final Primary Insurance Amount (PIA).

If an employer failed to report your wages correctly or misreported your earnings under an incorrect Social Security number, your calculated benefit will fall short of what you earned. Under Social Security Act § 205(c)(4), a strict time limit applies to correcting wage records. You generally have 3 years, 3 months, and 15 days following the end of the tax year in which you earned the wages to request a formal correction.

If you discard your annual statements or online earnings reports, you lose the primary tool needed to spot calculation errors. Reviewing this document every year allows you to cross-reference your actual W-2 forms or tax returns against federal records. Keep paper copies or saved PDFs of your earnings records permanently until you start collecting benefits and verify that your initial monthly award calculation is accurate.